Fireworks

[Juli]

I have a 4 yr old collie cross bitch who suffers from anxiety.  Last New Years Eve I sedated her with Sileo.  It's an expensive prescription drug that has to be dosed and monitored carefully.  My usual vet refused to prescribe it but an experienced behaviourist vet from another practice helped out.

That was in the context of general extreme anxiety issues which have since been resolved.  

I only have one more tube of Sileo which I resolved to save for the 2023 Solstice/ Xmas/ New Year festivities.  I live in a quiet area but local youths use the field at the back of my house to let rip on these occasions.

At 3 pm the day before Guy Fawkes my dog didn't come when called.  I went to her and found that she was shaking too much to stand.  I helped her up to her safe place (next to the wall, below the double bed, upstairs in the guest bedroom) and she stopped shaking.  She curled up tight and seemd to "go away"/ sleeping until 11:30 pm when quiet was restored.  Same on Guy Fawkes night itself - she took herself to her safe place, "went away" from 3  until 11:30 pm, then ate her dinner and went to bed as normal.

I congratulated her on figuring out her own way to deal with the terror.

BUT since Guy Fawkes every afternoon at 3 pm nearing dusk my dog panics frantically to get home - she pulled on the lead so strongly that I had to let her run rather than be pulled off my feet - and she goes straight under the guest bed and is unresponsive until 11 pm.  There have been no more fireworks, rather she seemed to have attached the experience of dusk to the expectation of horrible noises.

Today has been better. She withdrew to the guest room when we came home at 3 pm but came out at 5:30 to eat her dinner before going back to her safe place.  I'm relieved that perhaps she has understood that that fireworks are not going to happen every evening no matter how attentively she listens.

I wonder what experience other collie owners have of sedation vs allowing their dogs to come to terms with fear in their own way?  What have you experienced and what do you think about your experience?

Handling an anxious dog can be exhausting even if there is a strong affectionate bond.  I go through stages of congratulating myself that the hard work is productive and moments when - I am calming myself because I am the boss and I love my dog, but there is a sense of hurtling out of control.  I've had her on valerian and skullcap pills for the past week but herbs don't seem to touch this level of panic.

 

 

 

 

[Journey]

Tough spot to be in, I'm sorry. Your poor pup though...I am not adverse to medication to help. This type of fear will never go away and in most cases will get worse. There is no "come to terms" with a fear of this nature. I would recommend giving her a few hidey holes of her own, crates, where she can get to them regardless of what floor they are on. You are going to need to be proactive and know her triggers, behavior modification can only go so far and I have found in case like this they don't work at all. There is no point in praising her or correcting her, no amount of cookies will help. Stay calm, breath deeply, place her in what she knows as her "safe" spot and carry on as normal for you. No positive no negative reactions from you. If you know something is coming, a holiday, fireworks, etc..you may want to dose her a day or so ahead to attempt to take off some of the edge prior to her going into a full blown panic and needing it more.  I wish you luck.